The present invention relates to a board-to-board connector, and particularly to a board-to-board connector having an improved arrangement of contacts.
Board-to-board connectors are commonly used in the computer field. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,735,696 and 5,836,773. Referring to FIG. 5, a prior art board-to-board connector 14 shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,773 comprises an insulative housing 16 and two rows of contacts 20 received in corresponding passageways 18 defined in the housing 16 for mating with a plug connector (not shown). Each contact 20 comprises an engaging apex 34, a main body 26 and a tail section 24 extending from the main body 26. The tail portions 24 of each row of the contacts 20 are arranged in a line for soldering to a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown). With the development trend toward high density of elements in computers, the pitch between two adjacent contacts 20 is becoming shorter and shorter. Thus, a bridge phenomenon can form a short circuit between two adjacent solder portions 24 of the contacts 20 during soldering and adversely affects signal transmission of the connector 14 and the electrical devices connected thereto.
Hence, an improved board-to-board connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a board-to-board connector which provides a fine pitch contact arrangement while avoiding a bridge phenomenon between two adjacent contacts during both a normal soldering process and a solder repair process.
To fulfil the above-mentioned object, a board-to-board connector mounted on a PCB in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing and a set of first and second contacts. The insulative housing comprises a central portion which defines two rows of passageways along opposite sides thereof for alternately receiving the first and second contacts. Two channels are communicatively positioned beside these two rows of passageways for receiving a plug connector. The first and second contacts have a similar structure except for solder portions thereof. The solder portion of the first contact is longer than that of the second contact and comprises a bridge portion and a solder section for soldering to a corresponding pad of a PCB. A notch is defined below the bridge portion. The solder portion of each second contact is located between and adjacent two bridge portions of neighboring contacts and forms a support post projecting upward. The top face of the solder section of each first contact and the top face of the support post of each second contact are adapted for contacting a heat source during a solder repair process, the former being located lower than the latter, thereby avoiding a bridge phenomenon with a short forming between adjacent contacts.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.